Oxford/Cambridge Qs

I visited the city of Oxford yesterday and liked it alot. This has put doubts in my mind about applying. I originally thought that I would apply to Cambridge. I do have a few questions though:

1) Is the stereotype true about people going to Oxford/Cambridge are all snobs, privately educated?

2)If I apply to a specific college such as Trinity in Cambridge becuase it is very good, will they cosider you for other colleges if you dont get into that one?

No.
Yes.

What is it you're applying for, by the way?

Reply 3

Womble548

OP

I will be applying for maths at either. Might try to visit Cambridge before although might not be possible

Reply 4

d750

8

Is it just the feel of the city that's swaying you? Because Cambridge doesn't feel too different from Oxford - just a bit smaller and a little quieter.

Reply 5

Elles

17

No.

Yes.

(following d750's example here!)

Womble548

I visited the city of Oxford yesterday and liked it alot.

glad you liked oxford! i did on my first visit there which was about this time 2 years ago i think (oh how old i feel!).

anyway, just to let you know the town may have been quite quiet (apart from graduates & rowers & the latter might be offputting if anything.. :tongue:

) because most undergrad students won't be heading back till tomorrow or next week..

Reply 6

Alexander

12

Elles

anyway, just to let you know the town may have been quite quiet (apart from graduates & rowers & the latter might be offputting if anything.. :tongue:

) because most undergrad students won't be heading back till tomorrow or next week..

lol, there are still plenty of us locals here (and tourists/English-learning foreign kids :rolleyes:

), I went to town this morning and it was as busy as ever :smile:

Reply 7

username9816

14

d750

No.
Yes.

Why the "No" answer to the first one?

What percentage of non-snobby comprehensive school educated people go to Cambridge?

Less than 10% I would imagine. When he says "all", he really means the majority.

Reply 8

Helenia

20

Womble548

1) Is the stereotype true about people going to Oxford/Cambridge are all snobs, privately educated?

2)If I apply to a specific college such as Trinity in Cambridge becuase it is very good, will they cosider you for other colleges if you dont get into that one?

1) No. There is still a relatively high percentage of privately educated students, but the vast majority of Cambridge students (don't know much about Oxford but I assume it's the same) are not snobbish at all.

2) If the college you apply to thinks that you are good enough to warrant a Cambridge place, but they don't have enough places for them to give you one, then they will pool you. This means your application can be looked at by other colleges and any with spaces can either make you an immediate offer or call you back for interview. Oxford offers a slightly different system, but you do have a chance if your first college doesn't want you.

Reply 9

Alexander

12

bono

Why the "No" answer to the first one?

What percentage of non-snobby comprehensive school educated people go to Cambridge?

Less than 10% I would imagine. When he says "all", he really means the majority.

The majority of Oxbridge students are from state schools.

Not that high a proportion of indpendent school pupils are snobby, I am at one and I can only think of a handful of people who are noticeably snobby.

Reply 10

d750

8

bono

Why the "No" answer to the first one?

What percentage of non-snobby comprehensive school educated people go to Cambridge?

Less than 10% I would imagine. When he says "all", he really means the majority.

Sorry, don't follow. Are you saying that the comprehensive school students who go to Cambridge are likely to be / become snobby?

Reply 11

shiny

12

Depends what you mean by "snobby"?

Reply 12

priya

14

to be honest you could get state-educated people who are snobbier than privately educated ones (although from what i've seen that is kinda rare) and yes it does depend on what your idea of snobby is. those who accept the fact that they are clever/hardworking instead of constantly denying it like most people are taken to be snobby sometimes- in my view thats wrong because it's less annoying if u DONT feel like u have to keep encouraging someone.

then of course there's proper snobby- where they think that just because they've been educated at a private school they're the best thing since sliced bread- thankfully i met very few of these people when i was in cambridge- my friends over in oxford on interviews found it a lot more commonly there. my ex actually hated the idea of going to oxford after his interview, because he'd met a load of snobby d***heads. however when he started the course last october, none of them were anywhere to be seen......

Reply 13

Elles

17

Alexander

lol, there are still plenty of us locals here (and tourists/English-learning foreign kids :rolleyes:

), I went to town this morning and it was as busy as ever :smile:

ah..saturdays tend to be i think.. but when i visited midweek during my easter holidays 2 years ago the colleges & town did seem quiet compared to how it seems to me now during term time! although maybe it's actually living there & knowing my way around & lots of other people there that makes it seem different in atmosphere! :tongue:

hmm, tourists..yes, i suppose their numbers shall be increasing from now onwards as the weather improves! might have to fight my way to exams at the end of June..!

Reply 14

Lucy

Womble548

I visited the city of Oxford yesterday and liked it alot. This has put doubts in my mind about applying. I originally thought that I would apply to Cambridge. I do have a few questions though:

1) Is the stereotype true about people going to Oxford/Cambridge are all snobs, privately educated?

2)If I apply to a specific college such as Trinity in Cambridge becuase it is very good, will they cosider you for other colleges if you dont get into that one?

I preferred Oxford when I went to visit and that was quite a large factor in my final decision about where to apply. That said, as you applying for maths, the general consensus is that studying maths at Cambridge is pretty much unparalleled by other unis (even Oxford I'm afraid to say :tongue:

). So if you are aiming for the best course most people would point you towards Cambridge. However, taking this into consideration, people do feel that applying to Oxford for maths would be slightly easier.

I'm not quite sure how the Oxford 'pool' system works but I get the impression that they make more of an effort to place you at a college when they know you are good enough whereas Cambridge like to place a lot of people in their pool (all capable nevertheless) so chances of being selected from the pool (and finally receiving an offer) is less. There is also a feeling that (at Cambridge) if you are pooled from a good college (e.g. Trinity, Clare) you will have a better chance at being picked out as the calibre of pooled candidates will be stronger at the more 'academic' colleges. Don't know if it actually happens though :smile:

Oxford/Cambridge Qs

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